Well, there's always someone faster than me, and always someone slower than me. So, how do you measure whether you are slow or fast? I manage to hold my own in the races I run, and generally place in the top 3 in my age group (50-54) in half-marathons and below (and often run fast enough to place in several age groups younger). In marathons, I don't often place in the top 3, but I don't often expect to, either. Against many on this forum, I am really slow. Against those in the AARP, I suppose I am really fast.
However--running is a personal endeavor, and you are only competing against yourself (easy for a senior runner to say, eh). And using myself as my own measure, am I as fast as I think I can or will be? No. Am I faster than I was last year? I think so. Like the words from the song (and applying them to running): I'm not as good as I once was, but once I'm as good as I ever was (or something like that).
I will say this, though--if you are running, at any speed, my hat's off to you. Yes, if you are running at all, you are ahead of the great majority of people that never have or will run.
Ok, I've waxed philosophical long enough. Gotta run.
(Oh--and on your list, I guess I would put me somewhere between b & c.)

I am Sam, Sam I am ... I am slow to average depending on the day, wind speed and direction

"It is very hard in the beginning to understand
that the whole idea is not to beat the other runner.
Eventually you learn that the competition is against
the little voice inside you that wants to quit."
George Sheehan

vicentefrijole

posted: 5/22/2006 at 12:31 PM

On one day I was (b) for the first 22 miles, then (e) for the last 4.2 miles.
(It didn't feel very good, either.)

When I first started running last September at age 41, I thought I was very slow because I had race walker 10 years earlier and was also as fast walking as running.
Now, after running against my own time and pace and having won 2 in my age group in a few races, I consider myself .....faster than slow but not fast. ...
On some days.... I feel like I am crawling.... but I get home and post my time and distance and I have done quite good.
On other days I feel like I am flying and I tell myself to slow down ... (these old bones aren't what they used to be).....
All in all, I general stay right around the say pace, it is just my preception I guess based off my attitude, amount of sleep deprivation, and motivatiion
Best to all.... Mary

I'd say I'm slow to very slow. In my first 25K, I finished 4197th out of 5222 finishers. I averaged about 10:45/mile, which is better than usual for me on a long run (usually 12min+), so I was pretty excited & feeling pretty darn speedy...for me. So, I finished in the last 1000, but I also started in the back 50 or so of a group of 7000 runners & managed to pass the ones that dropped out (ok, so that isn't that impressive), but also that 1000 that I did come in ahead of!
I train alone 99% of the time, and I think having people next to me for encouragement kept me running at a faster pace. I'm now addicted to running & racing. I don't have any intentions of winning any races, just doing my personal best each time. I could care less what my time or placement is, as long as I did my best. Man, I sound like my mother talking to me as a child!! Maybe because I'm slow...
Eryn

Slow and fast are all relative. Someone with the world record is the fastest. What about age. Is the person with the world record for 90 year old fast. Yes and no. Yes in their age group but no compared to an above average 30 year old. It really comes down to our own records. When I was younger I ran 29:40 for 10k at 52 now I run 34:20. I do not consider myself fast any more just content and enjoying competeing against the younger kids and making them sweat.